


Background Smells

by SunflowerSupreme



Series: Witcher (Books) [5]
Category: Wiedźmin | The Witcher (Video Game), Wiedźmin | The Witcher - All Media Types, Wiedźmin | The Witcher Series - Andrzej Sapkowski
Genre: Fluff, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-17
Updated: 2020-01-17
Packaged: 2021-02-24 23:09:02
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 497
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22285978
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SunflowerSupreme/pseuds/SunflowerSupreme
Summary: Geralt finds all the smells and sounds of a city distracting.Dandelion only wants him to stop talking and go to sleep.
Relationships: Geralt z Rivii | Geralt of Rivia & Jaskier | Dandelion
Series: Witcher (Books) [5]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1624276
Comments: 16
Kudos: 216





	Background Smells

Outside the window of their shared room, carts continued to clatter by, well into the hours when Geralt thought everyone ought to be asleep. Something about large cities brought out what he considered to be the worst in people: their tendency to contribute to noises and smells long into the night.

The worst, in his mind, was the smell. Particularly in their room, where he was certain he could identify the race and gender of the last dozen occupants by the smell that had caked into the mattress. _Do humans truly not notice this?_

The Witcher shifted and blinked, glaring up at the ceiling as sleep continued to evade him. Dandelion’s breathing had evened out so Geralt was fairly certain he was asleep.

The bard had his back to Geralt, tucked slightly into a ball. He’d pressed up against Geralt at some point, although it was debatable if Dandelion was even aware of it. As much as he enjoyed contact - cuddling was not a word Geralt wanted to use - when awake, he seemed to want it even more when asleep.

Unlike the rest of the city, Dandelion’s smell was one he was used to. Sandalwood on his body, lemon in his hair, and chamomile oil to treat blisters on his fingers. Beneath that, were his emotions, something that Geralt understood humans couldn’t smell at all. But Witcher’s could.

Even in his sleep, Dandelion smelled of comfort and happiness.

Geralt shifted onto his side, tucking his back against Dandelion’s chest, resting his nose in his hair. It almost masked the scent of the world around him.

“Are you sniffing me?” asked the bard. “I’m not ill, am I?”

“I didn’t know you were awake. And no, you’re not.”

“I wasn’t.” Dandelion yawned. He rolled over, looking up at Geralt curiously. Knowing the bard, he was probably planning to write it into a ballad. “What is it?”

“The city smells,” Geralt complained.

Dandelion sniffed, then shrugged. “I suppose I don’t notice it as much as you do, my friend.”

“I suppose you wouldn’t.”

The bard studied him, then tucked into his chest, which allowed Geralt to once again bury his face in his curls. With one ear pressed into the mattress and his nose against Dandelion, that left him with only a few sounds filtering in through one ear. Everything else was muffled, either by the bard or the pillows.

Then Dandelion reached up, placing one hand over Geralt’s exposed ear. “There you are, Geralt,” he said sleepily.

“What are you doing?”

“What do you think?” asked the poet. “Planning where I can get wax plugs for your ears.”

“What?”

“Wax earplugs.” Dandelion yawned again, tapping his fingers against the side of Geralt’s hair. “Musicians use them when performing. It might help you sleep.”

“Thank you.”

“There’s an instrument shop down the road. I'm in need of new lute strings, as it were.” Another yawn, followed by a slight groan. “Now go to sleep, _please_.”

“Goodnight, Dandelion.”

“Goodnight, Geralt.”


End file.
